Last Moments
by EvelynWn
Summary: They say your life flashes before your life just before you die. Regulus was no exception. Maybe his brother was right after all. One-shot. Not in the same universe as my other Marauder stories.


Last Moments

Regulus glared at the paper on his desk. There was so many words going through his head that he wanted to put down. But none of them would form coherent sentences.

What could you say to someone who wanted to kill you?

Well he didn't want to kill him yet, but by the time his letter would be found the reader would want him dead. Thankfully if all went as planned he'd already be dead, so he wouldn't need to worry about it. This death would be far better than the one he would face if he survived.

Regulus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was still trying to figure out why he was doing this to begin with. He was a Death Eater, and a loyal one at that. But most importantly he was a Black. He was loyal to his family first, but his family wanted him to be loyal to the Dark Lord. So then why did he want so bad to defy him.

The Dark Lord would not be the only one he would betray tonight.

Even though he didn't know why he was doing it he wasn't going to back down. He knew there was a reason he was going to die, he just couldn't figure out what it was. He felt like he should know, and inside he did know. But the outside just wasn't cooperating.

His mind kept going back to his family. Perhaps they were the reason, but that couldn't be it. The had encouraged him to become a death eater, it was because of them he did it. It wasn't for their safety. Certainly they were in no danger from the Dark Lord, actually they would be in more danger if the Dark Lord failed. A large percentage of them would be thrown in Azkaban. All of this generation would actually.

All but two.

Regulus' mind wandered to the two black sheep of the family. It was only a phrase but it didn't seem to fit. Perhaps they were the white sheep in a pasture of black. Still just as strange among their peers despite that they are the ones that were the correct color.

Regulus knew Sirius was right. The path Sirius had chosen eight years ago was the correct path. Regulus knew that their parents beliefs were wrong. He could think of at least five mudbloods that were as good or better at magic than he himself.

That mudblood that Potter had married had out-shined even Bellatrix in school, and the half-blood that they hang out with, Lupin, beat Narcissa in many fights.

It shouldn't have been possible, but he saw it with his own eyes. It was why they had survived persecution from the greatest pureblood families; not because of the useless Ministry of Magic. It was because they were strong.

They know more spells than many of law abiding purebloods when they arrive at school, they study, eager not to be left behind. Though, of course, the Blacks and other families that believed themselves above the law practiced outside of school, but that doesn't prove they're better. It only proves themselves even more weak.

He, along with his cousins, had been practicing magic sense the day they were able to speak, and the mudbloods still out-shine them. The mudbloods who had only figured out magic existed seven or eight years ago were the reason the Dark Lord had not yet completed his quest. Them and a few blood traitors. The few smart purebloods who realized the truth before it was too late.

How Regulus wished he'd listened to Sirius eight years ago. Sirius tried to tell him they were wrong, tried to warn him that this path would get him killed. Why hadn't he listened? It seemed so obvious to him now. If only he hadn't been so foolish, than maybe he wouldn't be facing death right now.

The bloody traitor had cared about him, more than even his own parents had cared. Sure his parents gave him a home and food. What he needed to survive.

But Sirius had given him love. Food only keeps you alive, love keeps you sane.

More proof that Sirius' choice was right. Before then Sirius and Bellatrix could have been twins. There was no love, he hadn't even known what love was.

Then he met Potter. Potter knew love, they all did. Potter loved Sirius as a brother. It was something he had ever experienced before. It was odd watching them together. Sirius was never the same again.

And when he came home the new Sirius tried to share that love he'd gained. It was like some kind of present. Someone has too give it to you before you can give it to someone else. Someone has to love you before you can love someone else. Most people are given the ability to love by their parents, but not them. Sirius had to get someone else to love him, because his own parents didn't. When he finally did he wanted to share. He tried to give the present to them.

And they threw it in his face. Regulus had tried to defend himself by thinking that Sirius had betrayed them, he obviously didn't care about them. He almost had himself convinced it was true. He knew though in his heart that it was the exact opposite.

Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor. So it wasn't where they wanted him, so what. He didn't choose to be placed there, he had even begged Dumbledore for a resorting and threatened to transfer. Dumbledore naturally refused, but Sirius kept trying. He tried to prove he was a Slytherin. By Halloween they had threatened to expel him.

They didn't care. The Slytherins, his own family, refused to see him as anything but a Gryffindor. Even going as far as attacking him. Regulus couldn't count how many notes they had received saying that Sirius had been sent to the Hospital Wing due to injuries.

His mother smiled at everyone of them.

Sirius didn't betray them.

They betrayed Sirius.

Regulus' mind came back to the present when he heard his mother screaming at Kreature for something

Ever since Sirius ran away she had been slipping slowly to insanity. He couldn't bring himself to blame Sirius though. She brought this on herself; she made him leave. He certainly couldn't stay in a house with a woman that wanted to kill him. To this day Regulus still had no idea what had drove her across the thin line. What had Sirius done that made her decide yelling wasn't enough? He was sure that he would never know: at even the faintest mention of her eldest son she would freak out, showing everyone just how mad she had become.

Regulus could hear Kreature coming up the stairs muttering to himself about how sick his mistress was. Regulus picked up his quill and finally began to write.

The contents of the letter didn't matter. Chances were the Dark Lord wouldn't even read it. He wouldn't even need to sign his name. He'd been wearing this locket ever since Sirius left. If The Dark Lord didn't recognize it then he was exceptionally unobservant.

Regulus fingered the locket. It wasn't his and he might as well have stolen it, but the owner wasn't going to come back for it. It felt appropriate to use Sirius' locket for this task, after all if Sirius knew about the Horcrux, he'd be doing exactly what Regulus was planning. Though he would probably bring Potter with him. Regulus didn't have anyone to bring with him. Would Sirius be willing to come with him? He didn't need to guess at that answer. Sirius would gladly come with him. His brother still loved him. The last thing Sirius had told him was that he would always love him.

He'd even snuck into the Slytherin Common room to make sure that Regulus knew that he could always come to him if he needed anything and that he still loved him. He could still feel how it felt when Sirius hugged him. He couldn't respond, and Sirius left looking a little disappointed but not surprised.

If only he'd worn the locket to bed that night. Then maybe Sirius would have realized that Regulus loved him too.

The door opened behind him.

"Master Regulus, you wanted Kreature to come see you when it got dark?" The house-elf asked when his master didn't turn around.

Regulus stood and stuffed the note in Sirius' locket.

"Yes. Kreacher, I want you to take me to the place the Dark Lord took you." Regulus replied ignoring the look of fear that was now in the house-elf's eyes.

"Yes, Master Regulus" The elf said against his better judgment.

Regulus took Kreacher's hand and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again he was staring at a large cave.

He sighed, this dark hole was the last place he would ever see. It was worth it. Nothing could stop him now. He knew this was what he had to do and now he knew why.

For his family. Not because they weren't safe, but because they needed to see. They needed to see the truth. Sirius had been right, this war was going to kill them all. Voldemort had to be stopped.

Sometimes betrayal wasn't always bad. Sometimes betrayal was the best way to make one see his own errors. Maybe Sirius had betrayed them, maybe that was what they needed.

He did it for his family, because there was nothing left of them. The Black line was falling to pieces. The heir had been disowned, Bellatrix was quickly going insane with rage at Sirius, and Andromeda had been disowned as well. He and Narcissa were the only ones left, and they were both murderers. He knew doing this wouldn't clean the Black line, nothing but Sirius and Andromeda could do that. No, this would rid them of the cause. Voldemort destroyed the Black family, his call to terror the muggles had torn them apart. If he was gone, maybe things could go back to normal in a few generations.

It was a far stretch but it was worth dieing for.

He was going to betray his family by trying to save them.

Just like his brother had done.


End file.
